The present invention relates to individual protective equipment against a hostile environment, in particular an atmosphere containing toxic or corrosive substances, the equipment comprising a pressure suit having a flexible garment and a helmet provided with a transparent visor, and having a self-contained breathing apparatus for supplying breathing gas from a gas supply.
Most existing equipments of this type do not take account of the protection hierarchy that it is desirable to achieve: the respiratory passages and the eyes must be given priority protection against toxic, corrosive, or irritant substances, in particular smoke when the equipment is intended for use by fire fighters engaging fires in industrial premises or on machines; then comes body protection. Exhaled gases containing CO.sub.2 and water vapor dilute in the atmosphere surrounding the head and the body and may increase the CO.sub.2 content thereof to a point that can become dangerous. Such equipment is vulnerable to tearing or puncturing of the garment which is much more likely to leak than the helmet.
The invention seeks in particular to provide protective equipment that ensures a high level of safety by implementing a hierarchy of parts of the body according to vulnerability thus making it possible, to some extent, to mitigate the consequences of a leak. It also seeks to slow down the increase in the concentration of water vapor and carbon dioxide gas around the body.